Des Holden

It's a trust that has had enormous difficulties in keeping a stable senior management team.

currently got an acting chief executive, Des Holden, who was the medical director before he took over as acting chief executive at the end of last year.

He's an obstetrician by background.

The director of maternity and the deputy director of maternity both left earlier this year.

We're being urged to use a GP or pharmacy unless it's life-threatening.

Des Holden, who's the acting chief exec of East Kent Hospitals, spoke last week about the pressure they're facing.

Both of our units are extremely busy.

Both of them get every sort of presentation that you can imagine from minor injuries through to major trauma.

It'll treat around 100 patients a day for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, taking pressure off A&E.

Earlier I spoke to Des Holden, who's acting chief exec of East Kent Hospitals.

Same day emergency care, which often in the NHS people abbreviate to ESDEC, which may be something viewers have heard.

The idea is that we take people out of the emergency department where we think we can take their history, examine them, do the investigations we need to do and start to treat them quickly so that they don't need to come into hospital.